Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Painting Calm is a tutorial and style guide for natural subjects in watercolor media by Inga Buividavice. Due out 13th June 2023 from Quarto on their Leaping Hare Press imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The author has an inviting, calm, and encouraging style of writing. The brief introduction includes an illustrated list of tools and supplies and some (very) basic techniques for getting paint onto paper, for sketching, for selecting subjects and other useful information for beginning painters. Chapters with specific tutorials are grouped thematically: foliage, flowers, light, and structure & symmetry. Each of the project chapters contain many smaller mini-tutorials which are adaptable to any number of readers' uses. Most of the tutorials cover a couple of pages and are simple enough to give beginning watercolorists confidence by rendering them as illustrated or adapting them to their own needs.
The author has also included a number of collage photos for inspiration and reference, including many many glimpses into her own sketchbooks and portfolios.
This is a very pretty book with a lot of useful information and tips for rendering natural subjects with watercolor.
Four and a half stars. This would be a superlative selection for public or school library, home studio, or gifting.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by annieb123 on
Reading updates
- 7 April, 2023: Started reading
- 7 April, 2023: Finished reading
- 7 April, 2023: Reviewed